Caught in the crossfire
by tigerlynx
Summary: Whilst teetering on the edge of a full out war Princess Anna is attacked. As she slowly heals Elsa has to try to keep the peace but the assassination attempt could be enough to start the war. Risks are taken, friends lost, and for what? Revenge. Revenge on Elsa. If Elsa can't stop the oncoming storm of rivals, no one can.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"But Kristoff, all that I'm trying to say is that when you look grumpy like that with your shoulders all hunched up you _would_ look like a troll, just a big one" Anna reasoned, smiling as she skipped along beside him,"Besides, you're meant to resemble family" she giggled again.

A small snowman ran to catch up with Anna, jumping as it ran.

"Olaf!" Anna caught sight of the snowman and greeted him joyfully, almost tripping over him as he stopped before her, Kristoff caught her around the waist and set her on her feet again, rolling his eyes with a grin.

"Anna! Look, there's a **giant** troll by yo- oh... Hi Kristoff" Olaf shouted, shocked with this sudden realization before running past.

"There, have I made my point yet?" Anna looked at Kristoff, her eyes twinkling with joy.

He smirked at her before rolling his eyes, sighing and agreeing, just enjoying being in her presence,"I suppose, but to be fair he's a strange little snowman"

The weather was beautiful. The trees rustles as the wind blew, casting flickering shadows across the path Anna and Kristoff walked across. Birds flew overhead, soaring above the clouds and children ran around playing and flying kites. The smell of flowers hung in the air, occasionally interrupted by wafts of freshly baked bread from the bakery. A dog scampered past, barking at its owner, waiting for him to throw a stick. Everyone's mood seemed to match the weather. Kristoff watched his girlfriend, slightly bemused, to him she was perfect. The way her face lit up when she smiled, her endless babbling, her clumsiness, her natural curiosity, he adored everything about her. She was perfect, sweet, kind, gentle-

**WHAM**

"Why'd you do that?" He rubbed his nose where she had just hit him.

"You wasn't listening" she said smugly, looking up at him playfully.

Instead of replying he reached down and tossed her over his shoulder, holding her legs, before starting to run down the hill. She let out a loud shriek then burst out laughing, hitting his back jokingly.

"Kristoff! Oh- my- god" she gasped through her laughter,"I'm so- gonna- kill you"

"well I'm giving you attention _now_, isn't that good enough?" He smirked as she laughed.

Towns people stood aside, letting the couple pass. It was common knowledge to everyone that Anna had fallen for a mere commoner but it had helped everyone get to know her. Ever since the gates had opened, almost everyone had met Anna and instantly taken a liking to her. Elsa, though she rarely left the castle, was well liked not only for her personality but for the cooling relieve she brought in summer. They openly laughed, not at the couple but with them. Anna's stomach growled loudly, causing the couple to burst into another fit of laughter. Anna's face was bright red with laughter.

"I'm hungry, we must eat Sir Kristoff" Anna yelled, attempting a posh accent in an attempt to distract him so he would put her down.

"Of course m'lady, I have prepared but the finest of foods from across the land" Kristoff's accent was considerably better than Anna's, considering she was raised in a castle, she giggled as he put her down and held small her hand in his.

She brushed a stray lock of hair from her face as it slowly returned to its natural color. They strolled towards Anna's favorite sandwich shop and sat down at a table outside. Anna glanced around before looking up at the shop. She inhaled deep and caught the scent of fresh bread. Sandwiches were her second favorite food, next to chocolate.

"You wait here whilst I order" He smiled before entering the cool building,"two chicken specials please"

He waited as the sandwiches were prepared and gazed out the window. Anna was dreamily looking across the fjord, her head in her hands.

"Here Sir" the man handed Kristoff two sandwiches wrapped in brown paper.

"Thank you, how much?"

"Four"

"Not as bad as Oaken's" Kristoff chuckled to himself as he took the food, paid and headed back outside to Anna.

Her face brightened when she saw him approaching her, holding the food as if it were a precious treasure.

"Princess Anna, I bear great news, I have managed to obtain but the best food throughout the land" Kristoff said, once again attempting his posh accent,"And now we eat."

* * *

Kristoff sat down on the grass before beside her. He gazed at her as she looked at the sky. The sun illuminated her face and made her eyes appear brighter. Her two plaits hung over her shoulders, the strawberry blonde hair gleaming in the light. She blinked then looked at the grass, restless.

"Kristoff... Do you love me?" Anna looked at Kristoff after moments of silence.

Kristoff looked at her, behind those big happy eyes she was insecure and he knew it. She was scared of not being good enough for him, or at least that was what he had gathered from her sleep talking. He watched her look away, blushing but he stopped her, cupping her cheeks in his hands making her face him.

"Anna, I love you with all my heart and I don't want you to ever forget that", he spoke gently, looking her in the eyes,"Why? Do you love me?"

"I think I do, but I'm not very good with judgement as you might have seen with Hans" She laughed nervously when she mentioned Hans and looked around.

The word _Hans_ clouded Kristoff's mind. That... creature, that disgusting creature had almost killed Anna, he was a waste of oxygen and space in Kristoff's opinion. The last he had heard of _him_ was that he was locked away within the dungeons of the Southern Isles, condemned to stay there until the King of the Southern Isles saw otherwise. His brothers supposedly taunted him daily however he highly doubted that. The Southern Isles were probably just trying to regain Arendelle as partners in trade.

"we're different though" Kristoff pulled her into a one armed hug.

Her head was against his chest and she felt his heartbeat quicken as he wrapped his other arm around her protectively. She blushed slightly and leaned into him enjoying the feeling of comfort he brought.

"yeah, I never felt this way with Hans..." Anna trailed off, looking up at him

"What's my last name?" Kristoff smiled slightly, thinking of when they had ridden his old sledge, before Anna broke it.

"Bjorgman."

"What's my favorite food?"

"Carrots."

"Best friend's name?"

"Sven."

"Eye color?"

"Chocolate."

Kristoff laughed out loud.

"Chocolate? Seriously?"

"Mmmhmmm" She laughed but was then silenced by a quick kiss from Kristoff.

"Foot size?"

"Big"

"Big?" He raised an eyebrow, smirking at her.

"Yes, absolutely huge" Anna giggled as Kristoff mocked an angry face.

"So I think you know me well enough, and I know you well enough, and my family didn't manage to scare you away so I guess its love" Kristoff smiled as Anna looked up at him, blushing again.

"I guess it is"

* * *

"you know Kristoff" she lay down, her head on his lap,"You should really stay in the castle at some point"

He stroked her strawberry blonde hair,"I don't know if Queen Elsa would approve, she doesn't seem to like me much"

"don't be silly, she's just trying to scare you so you don't hurt me, she doesn't mind you" Anna smiled up at Kristoff.

"Are you sure?" Kristoff raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe _you_ don't like _her_" Anna smiled cheekily.

"Of course I like her, she's my future sister in law!" Kristoff laughed at he said this.

"Exactly, plus you'd protect her like you protect me right?" Anna asked.

"Yeah, your family is my family Anna"

"So you have to stay at the castle at some point" Anna giggled at his bemused expression.

"Maybe one day then, we'll see" Kristoff grinned.

In his head he imagined Elsa freezing everything if she found out the trolls had almost married them, _just a day after they met__. _He smiled, thinking of her reaction if she found out that Anna had been that close to marriage, twice. Plus he wasn't even royal, Anna was expected to marry royalty but so far all of Arendelle had adored the young couple as it made Anna seem more common, or at least more like the towns people. Maybe that was why Queen Elsa let them stay together, that and the fact that Kristoff helped Anna to save Arendelle. Elsa on the other hand, as Queen, had a reputation to up hold So she couldn't afford to get into a relationship with anyone other than royalty.

"I'll make sure you do. Wait, pinky promise you'll stay at the palace within a month" She held out her pinky finger expectantly.

"Anna, are you serious?" He looked at her, eyebrow raised.

"Pinky promise" She growled playfully,"That's a royal order and a girlfriend order"

"Girlfriend order? fine" he wrapped his pinky around hers and sighed,"I pinky promise I will stay in the palace with you within a month"

"Was that so hard?" Anna yawned as she spoke.

"Are you tired?" Kristoff looked at the sky ignoring the question, the sun was slowly dropping but it wasn't dark yet.

"No, just... relaxed" Anna's eyes fluttered closed as she dozed off, a small smile etched onto her face.

Kristoff sat there, still stroking her hair, gazing out across the fjord towards the forests. He sighed. He missed the trolls and the ice and the wilderness in general. But at least here he had Anna. He looked down at his sleeping girlfriend, her mouth was slightly open as she slept and every now and then she let out a gentle snore. He could count each individual freckle they were that close. She smiled in her sleep and unconsciously moved her hand so it was beside her head. Kristoff lay down, his hand resting on Anna's head, and gazed up at the sky. By now light was slowly fading, the clouds were illuminated with an orange and pink glow by the slowly fading sun. It was getting late.

"Anna, wake up Anna" Kristoff gently roused her,"Your sister will kill me if you get home late _again_"

"good, now five more minutes" She muttered, determinedly staying down, smiling cheekily.

Kristoff scooped her up bridal style,"Nope, wake up now" He whispered as she snuggled into his broad chest.

"No, I don't want to" Anna mumbled.

Kristoff paused for a moment, then pretended to drop her, stopping a few inches from the ground.

"KRISTOFF" Anna let out an ear splitting shriek and grabbed Kristoff around the neck tightly.

"Are you going to wake up now?" Kristoff beamed her, trying not to laugh at her indignant expression.

"Yes! I'm awake, now put me down" Anna laughed loudly, looking up as Kristoff, his deep brown eyes full of joy.

He set her on her feet and they walked in silence towards the palace, enjoying the slowly fading sunlight and summer breeze. Towns people occasionally greeted them with polite 'hello's', bows and curtsies as they passed. The sun sank lower in the sky, casting elongated shadows across the streets. Anna shivered and leaned further into Kristoff, despite it still being rather warm.

"Anna, are you okay?" Kristoff looked down at her, concerned, only to see her eyes darting around nervously.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine" Anna replied in a neutral tone, still looking around distantly.

"Don't lie to me Anna" Kristoff grabbed her arms and turned her so she was facing him,"whats wrong"

He watched her as she hesitated, waiting for a response.

"I- I just thought I saw something, I'm fine though" She smiled reassuringly, trying to reassure him more than herself.

Kristoff glanced around, his eyes darting from shadow to shadow before he looked at Anna again.

"Come on, the sooner you're home, the better" He quickly hugged her before once again putting an arm over her possessively and walking to the palace.

They strolled through the now permanently open gates into the courtyard where several guards stood. By now the sky had darkened to a deep blue, plunging Arendelle into shadows.

A guard stepped forwards and addressed her,"Princess Anna, please do come inside, Queen Elsa is waiting"

"Bye Kristoff" Anna smiled at him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before hurrying inside.

"Bye..." Kristoff whispered as the large doors closed behind her.

He turned and began trudging back to his cottage, knowing that Sven was probably going to harass him for not buying more carrots.

* * *

"No, Sven, I did not get you carrots" Kristoff pushed Sven's head away, laughing affectionately.

_"Its because you was distracted by Anna wasn't it. So how was you and Anna" _Sven batted his eyelashes.

"Fine, thank you for asking" Kristoff lay back on his bed, grinning.

He lived in a small wooden cottage near the market where he sold his ice. Of course Elsa had offered him a home nearer the palace as a 'royal ice deliverer', but Kristoff had declined. The cottage felt too much like home to leave. It was only three rooms; the bedroom, a bathroom and a main room. The wooden interior was very warm thanks to a stone stove set in the corner of the cottage where a fire usually burned. The heat radiated through the house which was illuminated by lanterns and the flickering glow of the dying fire.

_"Do you loveeeee her?" _Sven nudged Kristoff's shoulder.

"Yes, I do" Kristoff looked at Sven who stared him in the eye again,"And don't stand that close, its creepy"

Sven backed away slightly_,"More than me?"_

"Awwwww buddy, you know I love you, but in a different way" Kristoff cupped the reindeers head in his hands as if Sven was a child.

_"In what way do you love me? The... romantic way?" _Sven's whole body shook like an excited dog and he batted his eyelashes again.

Kristoff supressed a laugh. Of course that was the only type of love Sven knew. That was the only kind of love he ever mentioned.

"No Sven, that's how I love Anna. You're my best bud, I love you like family" Kristoff ruffled Sven's fur affectionately, laughing at his friend.

_"What happened to **reindeer are better than people?**" _Sven looked somewhat pleased with himself as Kristoff glared at him.

"You know, I'm beginning to think I'm mental, its almost as if I'm talking to myself..." Kristoff muttered, turning away still grinning.

* * *

"So Anna, how's you and Kristoff?" Elsa asked, gazing at Anna intently, picking up her glass of wine and swirling it around before taking a sip.

Anna stuffed a potato in her mouth before looking up at Elsa. Her older sibling was everything the she wasn't; elegant, graceful, thoughtful and calculated. Whilst Anna was clumsy, hyper active, impulsive and generally all around immature. Not that it mattered much as Kristoff always seemed to keep Anna out of trouble.

"Gofth" Anna took a moment to swallow her food,"Good, we're good"

Elsa put her hand to her mouth as she laughed quietly,"How was today then?"

Anna stared at her. Why did she always cover her mouth when she laughed? Probably some weird royal etiquette. She mentally shrugged.

"It was amazing, Kristoff was just... perfect. But-" Anna paused, thinking,"Today was amazing"

Elsa started intently at Anna, she had noticed that she had paused. She put her glass down.

"What was you going to say?" She asked.

"Hmm? When?" Anna glanced up at Elsa, then quickly snatched her glass of wine, took a large gulp, paused, and spat it onto the floor.

Elsa rolled her eyes, watching her sibling frantically gulp her water. She tasted Elsa's wine almost daily and spat it out every time. When would she learn.

"Just then, you said 'but' but then you never finished you sentence" Elsa raised an eyebrow, smirking as she watched Anna try to think of a believable lie.

Anna huffed, Elsa always picked up on these little things, but she had too when making deals with trading partners to ensure she wasn't giving Arendelle's goods away for free. It was good but it meant she never missed out on anything.

"Nothing, just thinking" Anna yawned before putting her knife and fork together then standing.

"Anna you've barely eaten" Elsa pursed her lips in a motherly fashion.

"Hush, you've hardly eaten too" Anna grinned, gesturing towards Elsa's plate.

"But I'm not finished" Elsa smirked.

"Your knife and fork are together" She said.

"Not they aren't" Elsa quickly moved them so they weren't touching, smiling.

"They _was_ though"

"Was not"

"Was too the end, have you finished all your work for today?" Anna changed the subject, smiling.

"Yes, why" Elsa said slowly.

In reality Elsa had only finished because Kai had helped her. There was too many documents to sign for just one person. Too many trading deals to consider. And despite Elsa's efforts, Arendelle were literally on the brink of war with Weseltown.

"I haven't spoken to you properly in ages and its been boring" She sat down again, facing her elder sibling, pouting slightly.

"You've had Kristoff"

Elsa tried not to laugh at Anna's pout. She looked so much younger like that.

"But Kristoff isn't you" She stuck her tongue out.

"I feel so loved" Elsa smiled sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

She knew Anna liked spending time with her, as if to make up for lost time, but it was exhausting trying to make time for everything. She looked at her sister, always full of energy and happiness, then sighed.

"Anna it's been a long day, we can hang around properly tomorrow, okay?" Elsa said.

"Yeah sure" Anna looked up with a dejected smile, acting happy for Elsa's sake,"Night Elsa"

Seeing Anna's dull smile tugged at Elsa's conscience but she ignored it. Her and Anna could hang out tomorrow for the whole day. She knew Anna tried to act happy around Elsa to ensure she didn't have to worry about her, but Elsa could see straight through the act.

"Goodnight Anna" Elsa stood up and they walked out of the doors together, hugging when they parted ways.

Elsa entered her cool room, rubbing her temples. Arendelle was on the brink of war with at least four other kingdoms due to her coronation. Weaseltown and the Southern Isles obviously but then the was also the Northern Isles alliance with the South which didn't help.

Elsa's desk was covered in parchment, all of which was deals, letters and several new alliances. She sighed. Tonight was not the night to deal with this. Yawning, she padded towards her bed.

* * *

Anna passed a guard before looking around, listening to ensure Elsa was in her room, then backtracked. She smiled to herself as she strolled down the halls, looking up at the pictures until she eventually reached the dining hall. The kitchen door creaked as she pushed it open, holding her candle higher as she ventured further into the darkness. Her face split into a wide grin as she found what she was looking for, her eyes settled on a large silver tin. _Chocolate. _There was more in the pantry, a better variety but for now she just wanted something sweet and the chocolate was the nearest food she actually wanted. She reached up towards the tin upon the shelf but then it slipped and clattered to the floor. Loud crashes echoed around the castle as Anna scrambled back towards her room.

* * *

Elsa's eyes shot open as she heard a faint crash. She sat bolt upright, listening, her eyes narrowed.

"Guards!" instantly three guards entered her bedroom,"Check the castle, every window and door, ensure no one has entered, please"

She spoke politely but with clear authority. The guards nodded and left, shouting instructions to guards further away in the castle. She stood up and pulled a bed robe on before opening her door and briskly walking down the corridor, poised to strike anything that got in her way.

* * *

Anna smiled to herself as she lay down in the safety of her bed. So maybe she hadn't gotten her chocolate but she hadn't been caught either. She sighed as she fought to get her breath back as she looked up at the window, giggling to herself. The moon shone down on her until a cloud covered it, shadowing the castle.

"hello, _princess_" a voice rasped in her ear.

Anna opened her mouth to shout but instantly a gloved hand clamped around her throat, cutting of her windpipe making speech impossible. The hand pulled her upright, off the bed, then slammed her into the wall. She tried to shout but he only tightened his grip on her throat then slapped her, hard. She felt her cheek stinging but didn't let any tears fall, despite her teeth grit in pain.

"I've been waiting for this for so long" the voice sneered.

Anna could tell it was a male voice but it was unrecognizable. The hand loosened its grip on her throat, allowing her to breathe. She inhaled deeply and remained silent. Then all the air was forced out of her as someone delivered a hard punch to her stomach. She bent over double, clutching her stomach, only to be pulled upright by her hair and thrown roughly to the floor, she let out a loud cry, but was quickly silenced by a hard kick in the back.

"P-please, stop" Anna stuttered, hating herself for being so weak.

He kicked her again, laughing, before bending over her. She yelped as she was yanked upwards and her arm twisted behind her. There was an audible crack and Anna screamed out in pain. The hand clamped around her throat in a vice like grip and cut her scream short, slowly crushing her windpipe as she struggled to free herself. Her right hand scrabbled at the hand around her throat, uselessly scratching the glove as her vision grew cloudy.

"No" once again she was slammed against the wall by her neck, but this time her attacker held a knife in his other hand,"It was a pleasure meeting you, _princess_"

He raised it to her neck and drew it across, feeling blood seep through his glove and onto his hand. Anna let out a long breath and collapsed lifelessly onto the floor as her attacker opened her window and fled into the night. She watched his blurred silhouette jump and then she was alone as everything faded into darkness.

* * *

Elsa stood before Anna's room and opened the door, her heart pounding in her chest. It was pitch black and silent, the absence of Anna's normal snoring worried Elsa.

"Anna?" Elsa called.

No response. She narrowed her eyes, trying to detect Anna's figure on the bed.

Elsa created a small ball of ice, illuminating the room only to see Anna's bed empty.

_'Okay, calm down Elsa. She always goes to the kitchen at night', _Elsa tried to reassure herself.

She shivered as she entered the room and quickly backed out of the room and took a torch from the wall before once again entering the room. She padded towards the bed before walking around it. Anna lay on the floor before her, eyes closed, throat bloodied, and still. Her left arm was bent at an unnatural angle and other arm was slightly bruised.

"ANNA" Elsa shouting at her younger sibling, panicked.

She knelt down beside her and cradled her. The rooms temperature began to drop drastically, ice coated the floor.

"No, no, please Anna, please" Tears built up in Elsa's eyes as she grasped Anna's wrist.

The was a faint, slow pulse. Anna was alive, Elsa could feel her shallow breathing.

"Please Anna..." Elsa begged her sisters unconscious body, trying her best to remain composed,"Please..."

"Queen Elsa!" The guards burst into the room, having heard Elsa's shout, Kai leading them.

Kai stepped forwards and observed the scene before turning deathly white,"Get the physician"

* * *

**That was fun to write :D I actually love Frozen so much, best movie ever. I hope you guys like the fanfic, please message me if there's any typos or anything, thanks :) **

**~Tigerlynx**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Kai stepped forwards and observed the scene before turning deathly white,"Get the physician"

"Yes sir" Two guards left.

Kai approached the sobbing Elsa and Anna's unconscious body, two guards behind him. He shivered as the curtains from the window wafted towards him. The window was open. He turned his attention back to Elsa.

"Your highness, we've sent for a physician, I hate to say this but the temperature is getting dangerously low, possibly enough to endanger Princess Anna's life more" Kai fought to keep his voice calm in Elsa's presence.

There was a long pause as the temperature slowly rose, but Elsa remained in her position, cradling Anna as she had done only once before when they were children. Kai watched the siblings, unsure of what to do. Fast footsteps brought Kai back to reality.

"Sir, we've brought the physician" A guard gasped to Kai and stood aside.

A small man not unlike the Duke of Weseltown entered the room and shivered. He looked over Anna then bent down to examine her, his face completely blank.

"Get her to a private ward in the infirmary please, ensure she is top priority" He snapped at the guards, then in a kinder voice,"Your highness, we will do all we can but she appears to have been in this state for quite a while. For now I can't promise you anything but we will do our best to take care of her, I suggest you get some rest. We should have a full report on her condition by tomorrow.

The guards eased Anna from Elsa's loose grip and picked her up bridal style, before rushing towards the infirmary, the physician following closely behind. Kai knelt down beside Elsa, ignoring the blood on the floor and on Elsa's bed robe.

"Your highness-" Kai started but Elsa had already stood up and left the room, her sobs audible from the corridor as she walked away.

He glanced again at the window and moved to close it. The clouds parted and on the flowers outside the windowsill was a single white glove embroidered with gold.

* * *

Elsa paced her room, holding her head, clearly stressed. The walls were coated in a thick layer of ice, not unlike the one in her ice palace. Large icicles shot out of the wall at odd angles as the ice slowly crept over the ceiling and floor. The ice flashed, alternating between red and yellow as it had done in her ice palace when she was angry. That bastard. Whoever had hurt Anna would pay. Elsa promised herself that much. Anger clouded her senses and all she saw was red. She struck her wardrobe, leaving clothes strewn across her room and frozen wooden remains of her wardrobe scattered around where it previously stood. Another strike towards a chair and the legs rolled across the room. Spikes of ice impaled the paintings on the wall, all except the one of her fathers coronation. She took in the scene, shocked at the mess she had made.

"come on, conceal. Don't feel" she muttered, tears running down her cheeks, still pacing,"Don't feel"

More icicles shot out from the walls. There was a faint knock at the door and Elsa stopped pacing, looking up doorknob turned. The icicles grew slightly then slowed down.

"Your highness... I think it best for you to rest. In the morning you will receive news of your sisters condition but for now you should rest" Kai closed the door and his footsteps faded away.

Kai brought her back to reality. She looked around again, shaking.

Elsa grit her teeth and placed the hands on the table, willing herself to calm down. Then she picked up the brass candle holder, whirled around and threw it into the mirror with a scream on anger and frustration. The mirror shattered and fragments of glass rained onto the ice. Elsa closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then another before opening her eyes. Her anger had faded slightly, as if destroying things had satisfied her frustration.

Elsa padded towards the broken mirror and opened the draw beneath it, looking down at a pair of teal gloves. She took a deep breath then picked them up, shaking slightly, not unlike how she had done before the coronation. All those years wearing these gloves out of fear. She slipped them onto her hands and shuddered, memories flooding back to her. In the mirror she could see her reflection staring back but now the fear was there again, but it was over ridden by rage. Rage that someone had dared to hurt Anna. Rage that she hadn't been there to protect her. Elsa looked away and silently backed away onto her bed. She couldn't sleep, not tonight of all nights. But she knew she should. It would make time pass so much faster, so she could find out what was happening. She lay down and closed her eyes, allowing her drowsiness to overcome her.

* * *

_"ELSA" Anna's panicked voice shouted,"ELSA! WHERE ARE YOU. PLEASE"_

_The voice slowly began to fade into a mere whisper. Elsa spun, searching for the location of the voice only to find the darkness slowly oppressing her more and more._

_"Please Elsa... please" Elsa could hear her sister sobbing weakly._

_Part of Elsa's heart broke, it was the same as how Anna had cried when she was 15, after the funeral._

_"ANNA, IM COMING" Elsa screamed, wildly running towards Anna's voice, blinded by darkness._

_"Elsa? Elsa!" Anna's weak voice called from the left._

_Elsa turned, once again met with darkness. She cursed under her breath and sprinted towards the voice._

_"I'm here Elsa" Anna's voice said, barely audible._

_Anna was lying on the floor ahead of Elsa, her hair white, a bloodied cut in her neck and her arm broken. She was almost frozen, destined to become a statue of ice, a permanent reminded to Elsa of what she had done and who she had hurt._

_"Anna!" Elsa skidded towards Anna and knelt beside her._

_Her skin was ice cold and she was shivering. Her eyes were barely open as she lay huddled on the floor, gasping for breath. Elsa stared in horror, placing a hand on her dying sister only to flinch from the cold. It was an unnatural cold, one that spread fear and darkness. Elsa suppressed a shudder._

_"Its too late Elsa, she's as good as dead, and its all your fault" The voice made Elsa's blood turn cold as Hans stepped out of the shadows smirking,"Poor innocent little Anna, its a shame she has to die, but its not my fault now is it? No. I mean_ _I__ didn't freeze her heart, I didn't let her die for me. This was all your work. And now she's gone for good. It's a shame really, you would have died regardless of this, but for her to die... such a waste. But she is replaceable. An unimportant pawn in a game of chess"_

_With that he raised his sword, smirking with an murderous glint in his eye,"She sealed her fate when the game started, and just like in every game of chess, the pawn is the first to go" _

_"No!" Elsa threw herself over Anna just as she froze solid._

* * *

Elsa shot out of bed, clutching her chest, breathing deeply. Just a dream. It was just another bad dream. She took a shaky breath then glanced at the window. Dark grey clouds covered the sky, occasionally flashing with lightning. Elsa held her breath as another stroke of lightning cracked across the sky, followed by the rolling sound of thunder. She shuddered and changed into a plain blue dress before braiding her hair and taking her gloves off. They hopefully wouldn't be necessary today. Anna had made her promise not to wear her gloves again, to keep bad memories away she had said. Elsa smiled slightly then heard a knock at the door.

"Your highness, are you awake?" Kai's voice asked tentatively.

"Yes" She replied, her voice completely emotionless.

"Breakfast is in the main hall when your ready" He said, before he began to walk away.

Elsa couldn't eat, not after what had happened. She shook her head.

"Wait! Could you please send for the Royal ice deliverer to meet me there?" She asked, Kristoff had to know.

There was a paused,"Of course"

His footsteps died away and Elsa observed her room. The ice had melted overnight so all that was left was broken furniture. Elsa was never that hostile, not since the men from Weseltown had tried to kill her. Once again ice began to spread around the room but Elsa took a deep breath. She couldn't afford to feel right now, she had to keep Anna and Arendelle safe. She took anothing deep breath then swept out of the room, ordering a servant to clean it as she passed.

* * *

"Elsa! Wait, I mean your highness" Kristoff quickly stood and bowed,"What happened to my girlfrie- er, Anna, wait no, Princess Anna? Kai asked me to wait for you but he didn't say why but he mentioned that it regarded Anna, oh god, I'm rambling like her now" He paused for breath, his eyes wide with worry, he cleared his throat,"Urm, yes, Anna, what happened?"

"There-" Elsa's breath caught in her throat and she felt tears prickling at her eyes.

"Elsa? Please, look I'm here for both of you, not just Anna, she wouldn't want you to be sad like this. What happened?" His voice, though concerned, was still ignorant to what had happened.

Elsa took a deep breath then spoke calmly,"There was an as-assassination attempt on her, last night"

There was a moment of silence were Kristoff processed what he said whilst Elsa blinked back tears.

Kristoffs eyes widened and he sat down,"An-And then?"

Half of him didn't want the answer, the other half needed it. _His_ Anna, someone hurt _his_ Anna.

"I-I" Elsa stuttered, her eyes brimmming with tears,"She's in the Infirmary... I don't know of her condition"

A single tear rolled down Elsa's face and she brushed it away. Kristoff stood up.

"Can we please go to the infirmary?" He asked, his voice full of urgency,"Now?"

* * *

"She was lucky. The blade missed the carotid artery and came dangerously close to her left jugular vein. Her left arm is completely shattered however it will heal given time. Her neck, where it isn't cut, is badly bruised as is her back and right arm. For now she is in serious conditions but we think she is stable for now." A physician said to Elsa and Kristoff,"But, we fear she may be in a coma"

"Can we see her" Elsa fought to keep her voice calm.

"No, not until we are finished examining her wounds, we hope to find some sort of evidence to help us catch her attacked" The physician replied.

Elsa lost her temper at those words, the room temperature plummeted,"What evidence will you find! She could be dying and you- you are putting her life at risk to catch an attacker! He doesn't matter! Anna matters, she is your priority! Understood?"

"Your highness, if we can catch this man then we can prevent him from harming anyone ever again"

"And if Anna dies? Then what!? How much blood has she lost, have you examined her fully? What if she's hurt on the inside!" Elsa was shouting by now, the floor completely frozen.

The physician looked terrified,"Of course your highness, we will put her health at the top of our priorities" He bowed then departed.

A warm hand touched Elsa's shoulder and she flinched, only to see Kristoff trying to comfort her.

"Elsa? Come on, breath, freezing the room wont help" He said, trying to keep his voice down.

"I-I need to see her" Elsa bit her lip and turned away.

"I know, we will soon" Kristoff's voice said gently from behind her, then said tentatively,"Elsa, do you mind if I stay in the castle? Until Anna recovers?"

"Yes, I think she'd like to see you when she wakes up so its best that you stay, would you like Sven to join you?" She asked, fully aware of Kristoffs fondness of his reindeer.

"Yes, that would be great, thank you your Highness" He began to bow.

"Kristoff, do me a favor and stop calling me 'your highness', its just Elsa, your girlfriends sister who will kill you the moment you hurt her" Elsa smirked slightly thinking of Anna's reaction to those words.

"okay Elsa" Kristoff replied,"I'm going to fetch Sven, he should still be in the courtyard, I'll put him in the stables"

He quickly walked out of the room then broke into a run, leaving Elsa to collapse into a chair, waiting.

* * *

"SVEN" Kristoff yelled from the courtyard.

He stood there waiting until at last the heavy thundering of hooves grew steadily louder. A reindeer slowly approached, skidding to a stop before Kristoff.

"Hey bud, we're staying in the castle for a while okay?" Kristoff stroked Sven's soft fur, calming himself.

Sven sent him a questioning look,'_what's happened now?'_

"It's Anna, Sven, she's- someone tried to assassinate her. Queen Elsa said we can stay until she recovers" Kristoff's voice shook slightly.

"Master Kristoff!" A voice shouted, Kristoff turned to see Kai turning towards him,"Queen Elsa has prepared a room for you and your friend here. Its near the stables. Is this okay?"

"Yes thank you sir, can you show us to the room please?" Kristoff said, his voice completely monotone by now.

Kai silently led Kristoff to his room, which, as promised, was right beside the stable. Kristoff dragged himself to the bed and slumped down, his head in his hands. Kai stood there, watching in silence before speaking.

"Kristoff, I know Princess Anna wouldn't have wanted you to worry. If there is anything I can do to help then please don't hesitate to ask for help" He bowed then left.

* * *

Elsa must have fallen asleep because she was awoken by the same physician as last time. She glanced at the window to see a setting sun, how many hours had it been? She winced, stretching. The Physician bowed.

"Your highness, you fell asleep. We believe princess Anna will survive but she may not wake for a while, there's a chance that she will slip into a coma in that time. I assume you want to see her but we need a few more hours. We are in the middle of an operation right now. I suggest you go to bed however I understand if you want to stay" He spoke quickly, clearly scared that he would be frozen.

"I wish to remain here, do as you must and please notify me when I can see her" Elsa kept her voice calm despite the rapidly dropping temperature.

"Your highness? Seeing as the Princess is only next door it would be dangerous for the temperatures to drop..." He trailed of nervously, watching the shaking figure of the queen.

"Sorry... I'm sorry, I'm just so worried about her", Elsa's shoulders dropped as she spoke facing the ground,"She's all I have left"

Her words were barely audible but before the physician left he noticed a silent tear fall from her face as the temperature slowly rose.

* * *

"Queen Elsa, Master Kristoff, you can see Princess Anna now" A physician bowed then left, leaving the door to Anna's room open.

Three more physicians filed out of the room, pushing their metal trays covered in surgical instruments which made Elsa shudder.

Kristoff had returned shortly after being shown his accommodation and they had sat in silence for hours, just waiting. The physicians had been rushing in and out of the room each time searching for different instruments, ointments and herbs, only increasing Elsa's worry for her younger sister. She stood and padded towards the room, Kristoff following her soundlessly.

The walls were a sterile white with large windows, the room was large with seats along the walls. Grey tiles covered the floor and there was a table on the other side of the room. In the middle of the room was a kind sized bed and in the bed lay Anna. She lay still and silent on top of the bed covers.

"Anna" Elsa's voice broke as she rushed over to her younger sibling and cupped her face in her hands, examining her.

Her normally pale skin was bruised along her left cheek in the distinctive shape of a hand, her left arm was covered in bandages and there were bandages around her neck too. Bruises stretched from beneath her bandaged neck to along her jaw and her right arm was mottled blue and black with bruises. Her eyes were closed and she looked truly peacefully. But it wasn't Anna, Anna snored as she slept whilst her she was silent, normally she would toss and turn in her sleep but she lay still. She heard Kristoff sniff and glanced at him. He was holding Anna's right hand, stroking the palm.

Elsa sucked in a shuddering breath and blinked back tears as she sat on the side of the bed, feeling in sink beneath her.

"Kristoff?" Her voice sounded raw, it was barely a whisper. She cleared her throat,"Kristoff"

He turned towards her, his eyes swimming with tears.

"I'd like you to stay with Anna, I'm going to make an announcement to the people. Is that okay? And after that, can you talk to Grand Pabbie. I want to know if we can remove all traces of her injuries"

Kristoff simply nodded before turning back to Anna"

Elsa took a deep breath, planted a kiss on her sisters forehead, then swept out of the room.

* * *

The courtyard was crowded. Kai and several other servants had alerted everyone that the Queen was going to make an important speech and finally rounded everyone up.

"People of Arendelle" Elsa started, looking over her people from her balcony,"Two nights ago Princess Anna was attacked. She is currently in the Infirmary but someone attempted to take her life"

There was a collective gasp and whispers started among the crowd until Elsa spoke again.

"If anyone has any information that could aid us in finding the would be assassin there is a reward. Anything that could help us..." She trailed of,"In the mean time I want everyone to be exceptionally cautious if they see a stranger as I dont want anymore injuries. There will be guards on the streets as soon as it gets dark but I assure you they are there for your safety only" Elsa stopped again,"Thank you for your time everyone, if you have any information please speak to Kai or Gerda" Elsa finished before turning away and slipping inside where the walls promptly froze.

She let out a long sigh as a wave of panic rolled over her. What if no one knew anything about what had happened and the attacker was never caught. If he came back to finished the job. Elsa ran her hands over her bangs. Now what?

"Your Highness, we've just received two letters, one from the Southern Isles and one from Corona" Gerda spoke from behind her, holding two envelopes.

She handed them to Elsa then departed as Elsa examined them. The one with the Southern Isles seal was considerably heavier. She sighed then strolled out of the room towards her study.

The study was a big room, books covered the shelves, books on all the kingdoms, on trade, on the history of trade. Everything that she needed if she was working on trade agreements. She sat down and looked at the letters trying to decide which to open first. She opted for the one with the velvet colored seal.

_Dear Queen Elsa,_

_We heard of the incident and of Princess Anna's condition through some ships in the port. As your closest trade partners and friends we want you to be aware that if you need anything you can write to us. _

_We are carefully investigating all ships that enter our port to ensure they haven't come from Arendelle and we have sent our best healer. As you are aware Rapunzel used to have healing abilities because of a special flower. When it was used the stem and leaves were preserved and we hope that the healer can used them to heal Princess Anna's injuries and remove the scars. If we can be of assistance in any other way contact us._

_Yours faithfully,_

_The King and Queen of Corona and Rapunzel and Eugene._

Elsa closed the letter, thinking. She liked Corona, they were always straight and simple with everything. They were one of Arendelles strongest alliances and the late Queen of Arendelle was the Queen of Corona's sister. And to send a healer with the best medicine known! Family ties must have helped. Elsa smiled slightly before turning her attention to the letter from the Southern Isles. Her smile faded instantly. It was sealed with red wax then stamped with the Southern Isles crest. She slit it open and pulled the parchment out. There were multiple sheets of paper, one of which was clearly a trading deal.

_Dear Queen Elsa,_

_We are writing in regards to Anna's condition and to reassure you that Hans has been stripped of his title and locked in prison. I hope to make amends for Han's actions by offering our assistance to catch the criminal._

Elsa crumpled the letter into a ball and threw it into the fireplace where the embers still glowed. The parchment caused fire and slowly blackened. She was fuming, how dare they even try to use this as an excuse to trade again. They were close to a war and the Southern Isles wanted to trade. A thought slid into her mind. What if the Southern Isles had done this on purpose just to try and trade. The thought firmly lodged itself in her mind and she left her study, fuming.

* * *

By the the time Elsa had calmed down it was close to midnight and she was once again beside Anna's bed. The healer from Corona was due to arrive tomorrow around noon assuming the winds and seas were kind. Elsa glanced at the door as a physician burst in, carrying a small bottle and new bandages. Another trailed behind him, pushing a small tray upon which sat a basin of water and several herbs.

"Queen Elsa!" He bowed,"I had no idea you was still here, I must change the Princess's bandages if I may"

She stood to one side and let the Physician tend to Anna. He unwrapped the thick bandage from her neck and as it slowly got thinner Elsa saw bloodstains, she gripped the blankets ticktly.

"Calm your highness. This is normal, these bandages were just to let the blood clot to stop the bleeding, now we'll clean it for the physician from Corona" he smiled at her in an attempt to comfort her,"the worst is over, she'll be just fine soon enough"

The bandages fell away and Elsa now had a clear view of Anna's neck. Dried blood coated her neck. Elsa could see the surgically neat stitches that held the wound shut. It was an ugly sight but as the physician began to clean it Elsa calmed. The wound stretched across Anna's throat from the lower right of her throat to beneath her left ear. The skin around it was covered in bruises. Elsa shuddered.

"Where is Kristoff?" Elsa asked the physician.

"He retired to his room a few hours ago your highness" The physician replied, rubbing some white cream on the cut.

"What's that?" Elsa suddenly felt nervous.

"Just something to stop infection. There isn't much we can do so we just want to keep her stable until the healer from Corona comes tomorrow"

"Tomorrow?" Elsa's voice hitched in her throat,"Excellent, thank you sir".

He finished rewrapping the bandages then departed with a hasty bow in her direction. She nodded then glanced at the window to see a cloud drift over the bright moon. Once Anna was conscious she would start working towards finding the attacker, but for now all she could do was wait.

* * *

**Okay, that was chapter two for you :) What do you think so far? Just message me or review if there are any typos please. I LOVE EVERYONE THAT READS THIS. Unless that's creepy, then I only like you :) love ya'll**

**~Tigerlynx**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Queen Elsa?" Kai watched the sleeping Queen.

For once her hair had come out of it's usually neat braid. Her bangs were swept across her face and she was leaning on her arm in an uncomfortable position. It looked like she had slept in the arm chair all night but Kai knew she had only been sleeping for a few hours if that.

"Your highness?" Kai spoke a little louder.

Elsa jerked out of her slumber and looked up at Kai, yawning. She rubbed her eyes then stretched.

"Oh, Kai. Good morning" She mumbled rubbing her eyes, then she glanced at Anna.

The action didn't go unnoticed and Kai shot her a sympathetic look before continuing.

"Good morning, Your Highness, the healer from Corona is set to arrive soon" Kai said, glancing towards the princess.

More colour had come to her face and her lips were parted slightly. She was snoring softly.

"She's looking better is she not?" Kai smiled at Elsa who was still gazing at Anna.

"She is, wait, Corona, the healer" Elsa's eyes went wide,"What's the time?"

Before Kai had a chance to respond Elsa glanced at the window to see the sun high in the sky,"What time will the healer be here?"

"Well, the ship sent a messenger bird an hour ago so I would assume they're less than an hour away" He said, pulling the letter from his pocket.

Before he had finished the sentence Elsa had raced out of the door to get ready, snatching the letter from his hand as she raced past.

* * *

She open her bedroom door and briskly walked towards the courtyard. Kristoff was with Anna now. Elsa let out a deep breath.

"I can do this" she repeated to herself again and again, she smiled, Anna was rubbing off on her.

Kai trotted ahead of her, holding the scroll that ships coming to dock were required to sign. The guards saluted as Elsa passed and then she was in the town.

People bowed and curtsied as she passed, all in silence. A small boy past her then tripped before looking up. His eyes widened when he realised who it was.

"Your highness! Im sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going and-" He spoke quicky and had gone red.

His reaction was excusable considering no one had properly spoken to Elsa yet. They didn't know her like they knew Anna. She smiled at him, receiving a toothy grin back. She chuckled as she pulled the boy to his feet.

"Hey, it's alright, just be more careful in the future" she offered him her hand and pulled him up.

A women, presumably his mother appeared beside him, holding a basket of vegetables.

"Your highness! I'm sorry about my son, how are you coping?" She smiled at Elsa, pitying her.

"I'm doing okay thank you, a healer is coming today from Corona and we may seek help from the mountain trolls" Elsa was amazed at how easily words came to her, she usually avoided people so she wouldn't have to speak to them.

"Oh, you're on the way to greet the healer aren't you? I appologies your highness. Have a good day" The women hurried away, her son in tow.

That was the first time Elsa had properly spoken to the towns people. She smiled as they walked away. Maybe she'd come out more often after this.

Kai and the Queen continued walking towards the docks in silence. As the approached they saw a large white sail, painted with the Corona flag, a traditional sun upon purple. Elsa sighed with relief as it drew nearer to the dock. A plank was lowered and a healer, accompanied by guards descended. He approached Kai and Elsa.

"your highness" he sunk into a deep bow,"I'd hate to be rude but I must see the princess"

* * *

The healer was a tall man of mixed race. He had short black hair and deep brown eyes, despite his large frame he had a friendly face. He had a deep solemn voice and carried the air of authority. Elsa could tell he wasn't the type of man who would waste time. He wore dark brown trousers, a grey top and a leather chest plate over it. Over his shoulder was a large brown satchel. He pulled out a small wooden box. From a small wooden box he produced a dried dark green plant.

"What's that?" Elsa asked, when she received no reply she raised her voice,"What's that?"

"You've heard the legend of the Magic Golden Flower? This is what was preserved" The physician didn't even look at Elsa as he began to crush the leaves into a powder, leaving only the stem,"Can I have a bowl of water and a cloth please?"

The other physicians hurried away to fulfil his request.

Elsa had heard of the flower, her father had given her a book about it when she had stayed in her room. It had healing properties so powerful it could pull people away from the brink of death and only a few of these plants had ever grown. The physician had finished crushing the paste. He gently smothered it over Anna's neck and sung under his breath. Elsa couldn't hear the world but she could tell he had a deep, husky singing voice, he was good though. The paste began to glow, a soft gold then the light intensified.

The physician stopped singing and the glow faded, he looked up at Elsa.

"She'll be fine, I doubt there will be scars" He smiled then dipped a rag in the bowl of water to clear the paste.

As he wiped it away Elsa saw that the wound had indeed healed, not a trace was left, not even the stitches. The bruises however remained.

"Sir, thank you, can I offer you a cup of tea? Wine? Anything to eat?" Kai asked the physician, watching Elsa.

"No thank you, it was an honour to help the Princess of Arendelle" He replied, bowing his head slightly,"However there is something I'd like to see"

"what?" Elsa looked up at him to see his eyes twinkling playfully.

"Can you show me your powers?"

Elsa smiled,"of course, but not here, in the courtyard perhaps?"

Elsa sat beside Anna, searching for a sign that she'd wake soon.

"whenever you're ready" He put the box back into his satchel.

"how about now? The guards will watch Anna and Kristoff will be with her soon" Elsa's grin widened.

"Let's go then" he left, heading towards the courtyard.

He was a strange man. He didn't treat Elsa like a queen, he treated her like a normal person, and she liked it.

* * *

___Flower gleam and glow_  
_Let your power shine_  
_Make the clock reverse_  
_Bring back what once was mine_  
_Heal what has been hurt_  
_Change the fate's design_  
_Save what has been lost_  
_Bring back what once was mine_  
_once was mine._

The words sounded almost ghostly in Anna's head, echoing around her mind. She felt warm, a comforting warmth that spread from her chest to the tips of her fingers and toes.

Then Elsa's voice echoed around her mind,"...thank you".

Anna swore there was more but she could feel herself slipping back into sleep. Anna smiled then rolled over, curling into a foetal position as she drifted back into sleep.

* * *

"are you ready?" Peopled had gathered in the courtyard, watching the queen.

She took a delicate step on the ground and ice slowly began to spread. The physician looked down and began laughing with delight. For a few moments Elsa was able to forget her responsibilities as queen and properly enjoy herself.

"how's this then?" She raised an eyebrow.

"This is amazing!" His smiled widened.

Elsa remembered when she and Anna used to play with her powers. Anna had always used those words.

"I'll leave you to enjoy yourself, I need to be with Anna", Elsa smiled at the healer then hurried away.

* * *

Elsa's head snapped up and for the first time in three days, she smiled a genuine smile. Anna had rolled over and was facing Elsa, a small smile graced her face. She had spent so long just sitting there waiting for Anna to wake. Kristoff had come by but he had other responsibilities. The only other people that had come by were physicians to make sure Anna was hydrated and to check up on her.

Her hair had escaped the braids and resembled that of a lions mane. Her cheeks had returned to their normal colour and she seemed to be stable. All that was left to do was wait for her to wake up.

"Kai, could you get Kristoff please? And the royal guards but ask them to wait outside please" Elsa looked at Kai, her eyes bright.

"Of course you highness, I take it that we'll be investigating this attack now?" his voice was light but behind it Elsa could hear anger.

"yes, but first I want Kristoff to know what's going on" She watching him depart and turned back to her sister.

Anna's pulse was finally stable and colour returned to her cheeks. Her breathing had normalised. The physicians had checked her over before departing, leaving Elsa and Kristoff to watch over Anna.

"Your highness, can I have a word?" Kai called from the doorway.

"of course Kai, Kristoff, please stay with Anna" Elsa nodded at him then followed Kai into the corridor,"I need a word with the guards first though. Don't worry, it will be quick"

* * *

The hall was empty, rays of light shone through the tall arched windows and dust floated in the air. All was silent. In the middle of the room was a single wooden plinth. A white glove lay upon a red velvet cushion. It was embroidered with golden silk threads and a ray of sunlight gleamed upon the seemingly innocent piece of clothing, except for the blood stained across the fingers. The door opened and Kai hurried in, followed by Elsa. She had spoken to the guards, instructing them not to let anyone past the palace gates without recording their identities and to keep Anna safe. The pair approached the plinth.

"a glove?" Elsa looked at Kai, her eyebrow raised, then she drew closer and saw the blood.

"found on Princess Anna's window sill on the night of the attack" Kai picked it up, examining it.

Elsa bristled at the mention of the attack, the temperature plummeted. Kai didn't react to the sudden cold, his expression remained calm.

"Let me see" Elsa's voice was suddenly cold.

Kai handed her the glove. He noticed that she took care not to touch the blood and subconsciously shuddered.

"Please fetch Gerda, and one of the foreign traders in the courtyard please" Elsa let out a breath when Kai left and ice shot up the walls.

It quickly melted as footsteps approached. Gerda appeared in the doorway.

"your highness" She curtseyed.

"Gerda, its good to see you", Elsa greeted her warmly,"can you identify where this glove was made? It's important"

"it was made somewhere wealthy, see the gold thread, it's silk. The glove itself is lined with velvet. Velvet is produced in the west, around the British Isles and such. A glove of this quality, I'm afraid I don't know where it could be from" Gerda sighed.

"Thank you for that information, I'm sure it will help" Elsa inclined her head slightly as Gerda left.

Elsa waiting in silence for a few minutes, watching the dust waft through the warm afternoon air. It was strangely therapeutic to watch the dust whilst warm rays of light shone upon her face.

"Your highness" Kai reappeared at the door,"Trader Yohan from Berk"

"thank you Kai. Yohan, I'm sure you've travelled far, do you know where a glove similar to this could have been made?" Elsa looked at the man.

He was tall and slim with a long brown beard. Beneath his left eye there was a long scar, as if he had been attacked by a beast. He wore Viking attire, leather armour and a metal breast plate.

"It looks to me like those worn by the army. Not Arendelle of course, the four Isles, the French maybe, no they have different designs, Wealse town? Or Wealsetown was it?" He muttered to himself whilst examining the glove,"I'd say it's from either Wealsetown or the Isles. The craftmanship there is amazing"

He handed the glove back to Elsa, head bowed in respect.

"Thank you Yohan, I want you too know that you're always welcome in Arendelle" Elsa smiled at him and he chuckled heartily.

"You're too kind your highness, I must say though, Arendelle is a fine kingdom compared to what I've seen" He smiled toothily at her,"I should get going now, I intended to set sail by sundown"

"Of course sir, thank you again" she smiled as he departed.

Yohan was friendly for a Viking. Elsa stood there examining the glove again, then she set it down upon the pillow and left the room.

* * *

"you know Anna, it's too quiet without you, I mean Olaf takes after you a lot but he isn't you. He doesn't eat chocolate. I brought you some chocolate earlier incase you woke up but I guess for now I just have to save it for you. Maybe when you wake up we can go and have a picnic on the mountains or something", Kristoff smiled sadly at Anna, stroking the palm of her hand with his thumb,"Or I could teach you to play the lute again", he chuckled at the memory.

Silence passed, him just staring at his girlfriend. Her strawberry blonde hair wasn't in its usual braids, instead it was splayed across the pillow's and she was still in the foetal position. He sighed. Maybe she would wake up soon, but maybe she wouldn't. Elsa walked in. She hadn't slept for over twenty four hours but it wasn't showing.

"How is she? Has she moved or anything?", Elsa asked hopefully.

Her blue eyes glistened and she searched Kristoff for a positive answer. When she found none she blinked and looked away.

"No, she's been like this the whole time", Kristoff sighed in despair.

"She'll be fine, I know she will. She's Anna", Elsa smiled to herself.

The smile was forced. Yes Anna could and would get through this but it was the third time she had almost died. True it wasn't Elsa's fault but she wanted to be able to protect Anna.

"Elsa, you don't think it was the Southern isles do you?" Kristoff glanced at her, waiting for a reaction.

"I don't know, I mean it could have been but how could they have gotten in so easily? The Isles aren't known for climbing equipment, only Arendelle can make equipment that's safe enough for use. Not many kingdoms are surrounded by mountains", Elsa thought back to her maps and lessons on the kingdoms.

"Elsa, I need to go, I'm meant to be harvesting ice tomorrow, well I should have been today as well really. If I find anything out I'll be back", he promised.

"okay, bye Kristoff, if Anna wakes I'll let her know where you are" Elsa smiled at Kristoff as he left.

* * *

Kristoff entered the market place. He was in no rush to get home but instead felt like mooching around. For a few hours he simply wandered around, speaking to people and helping them with their work.

"Kristoff!", Joel gave him a bear hug.

Joel was another ice harvester, his muscular build was suitable for his job but the extra weight made it dangerous on thin ice. His hair was almost black and his eyes were green.

"Joel, how have you been?" Kristoff asked tonelessly.

"I've been great. I heard what happened, come on Kris, you gotta relax a bit. Are you coming harvesting tonight?", Joel's eyes shone as he spoke.

"yeah, when are the guys leaving?"

"soon, go and get Sven and meet us at the northern bridge" Joel slapped Kristoff's back then disappeared.

He sighed.

Kristoff hurried to his cottage. Sven was outside, eating the grass and he glanced up as Kristoff approached. The sun was beginning to set.

"Hey buddy, we're going to get some more ice in a bit, you ready?" He grinned at the reindeer.

Sven loved journeys to the mountains. He loved the running and freedom and Kristoff knew it.

"I'm going to put some supplies in the sled then we'll get going, I want to be back by tomorrow okay?" Kristoff said to Sven absent-mindedly as he strolled past the cottage to the shed.

The door was slightly ajar and Kristoff peered in. The musty scent hit his nose and he coughed as he inhaled dust. It had been too long since he had harevested ice, choosing to stay with Anna instead. His pick axe was missing, usually it was propped against the corner with the rope but now the corner was bare. Kristoff furrowed his brow, where could it have gotten too? He looked around to see if anything else was missing. His ice boots were gone. They had been made in one of the finest blacksmiths in Arendelle to ensure the hooks on the bottom of the boots would grip ice properly. Then Kristoff face palmed himself. Of course it couldn't be a coincidence that his strongest equipment was gone. It was enough to scale almost any mountain so a castle wall couldn't have been too difficult. He had to warn Elsa, if they still had the equipment then they could get in again.

"Sven!" He yelled as he sprinted towards town again.

Sven cantered alongside him and tilted his head, allowing Kristoff to hold on the his antlers before pulling him onto his back.

"Come on buddy" Kristoff urged the reindeer and Sven put on a burst of speed.

* * *

Elsa stroked Anna's forehead. In the past hour since Kristoff's departure she had become more agitated in her sleep, shifting and crying out at times. Right now she was shuddering but the physician had said it was just because of her dreams. Elsa wasn't convinced.

"shhh, don't worry Anna, I'm here" Elsa whispered, unsure if Anna could hear her.

Anna whimpered and muttered something that Elsa thought sounded like 'help'.

* * *

_Anna stood, petrified as the man advanced. She was frozen with fear. The man leered at her as he drew nearer, baring his canines menacingly. She knew what was coming, it would be the same reoccurring dream._

_"No one can save you. Not Elsa. Not your precious little boyfriend. Even your parents abandoned you" the man taunted._

_"Stop it" Anna grit her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut, facing away from the man._

_"You're weak and everyone knows it" there was a chuckle, a rough scratchy chuckle._

_Then a hand clamped around her throat._

_"help..."_

* * *

"Kristoff Bjorgman, Royal Ice harvester and Deliverer" Kristoff yelled at the guards as he raced past.

The guards scribbled his name down as he sped past, slowing in the courtyard until Sven came to a full stop, skidding on the cobblestone. He slid of Sven's back and stumbled inside towards the infirmary. The castle suddenly seemed so much bigger, the winding corridors seemed to only lead to more corridors, keeping Kristoff from Anna. Finally he reached his destination and opened the door.

Elsa was beside Anna who was still asleep. Whilst Anna still looked relatively neat Elsa looked exhausted. Her platinum blonde hair was disheveled from the number of times she had run her hands through it. Her make up was smudged, what looked like tear streaks made paths through the smudged make up and she was shaking. She looked like she was struggling to stay awake. Kristoff took a moment to observe the scene. He had only been gone for a few hours.

"Elsa" Kristoff said quietly from the doorway, not wishing to startle her.

Elsa's head jerked up and she stared at Kristoff.

"how come you aren't heading to the mountains? What's happened?" Elsa stared at him, he was breathing heavily.

"My equipment's been taken, the climbing equipment" He scanned the room.

"The climbing equipment" Elsa said slowly, the words rolling of her tongue,"What exactly was taken?"

"Rope, my climbing pick, ice boots, thats all I noticed but there could have been more" He closed his eyes for a moment, thinking.

"Right, go and check please, and tell the guards that are investigating this... Incident", Elsa said sharply.

The rooms temperature suddenly lowered and Kristoff glanced at Anna. He cleared his throat loudly and Elsa looked up at him, her expression softened and the room temperature returned to normal. He departed, glancing back at her before closing the door behind him.

"Elsa?", Elsa turned her head sharply to look at Anna.

* * *

**I am very sorry for the delayed chapter guys. I've actually tried to keep up with school work which doesn't usually happen. I don't know when I'll update again as there are exams coming up but in two weeks I'll have a week off school so you can expect either an update or the chapters being edited and probably lengthened. I know this chapter is a bit shorter but I'll make it up to you in a future chapter :) thanks for your patience and I hope this is good enough ;) **

**~Tigerlynx**


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